Abstract: An angioplasty balloon catheter having a balloon carried at the distal end of a catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes an inflation lumen by which the balloon is inflated and deflated. A guide wire passage extends through the balloon. A guide wire assembly extends through the catheter shaft, through guide wire passage, and out the distal end of the balloon. The guide wire assembly carries, near its distal end, a selectively radially expandable valve which is used to limit or block fluid flow between the shaft lumen and the patient's body during inflation and deflation of the balloon.

Abstract: An over-the-wire balloon catheter for use in angioplasty includes a dual lumen shaft formed by a multisection outer tube and a multisection inner tube. The outer tube includes a first thin wall outer tube section which is connected to a manifold at its proximal end. The outer tube also includes a second outer tube section which is attached to the distal end of the first outer tube section and which has a greater flexibility. The inner tube has a first thin wall inner tube section which extends generally coaxially through the first outer tube section and into the interior of the second outer tube section. The inner tube also includes a second thin wall inner tube section which is attached to the distal end of the first inner tube section and extends distally beyond the distal end of the outer tube. A balloon is attached to the distal ends of the outer and inner tubes.

Abstract: An angioplasty balloon catheter having a balloon carried at the distal end of a catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes an inflation lumen by which the balloon is inflated and deflated. A guide wire passage extends through the balloon. A guide wire assembly extends through the catheter shaft, through guide wire passage, and out the distal end of the balloon. The guide wire assembly carries, near its distal end, a selectively radially expandable valve which is used to limit or block fluid flow between the shaft lumen and the patient's body during inflation and deflation of the balloon.

Abstract: An "innerless" balloon catheter controls fluid flow past the guide wire at the distal end of the catheter by a combination of flow resistance and a pressure responsive valve. The catheter includes a shaft which carries an inflatable balloon at its distal end. The shaft has a lumen therethrough with the lumen being in fluid communication with the balloon interior for inflating and deflating the balloon via the shaft lumen. The catheter further includes a lumen extension through the balloon, with the lumen extension being in fluid communication with the shaft lumen. A guide wire extends through the shaft lumen and the lumen extension and out the distal end of the balloon. The resistance to fluid flow past the guide wire in the lumen extension is substantially greater than the resistance to fluid flow between the shaft lumen and the balloon interior.

Abstract: A balloon dilatation catheter construction having an elongated shaft with a guide wire lumen and an inflation lumen therethrough, and a balloon member mounted on its distal end in combination with the inflation lumen where unwanted gases are vented from the balloon interior by first directing the gases proximally and thereafter directing the gases distally. Unwanted gases are directed proximally by a vent lumen which is sized to allow the unwanted gases to escape the balloon member while significantly inhibiting the flow of a purging medium therefrom. Thereafter, the gases are directed distally through the guide wire lumen where the gases are released from a distal end of the catheter.

Abstract: A multisegment balloon protector, includes several protectors each of which covers and tightly fits over a portion of the length of a balloon of a dilatation catheter.

Abstract: An over-the-wire balloon catheter for use in angioplasty includes a dual lumen shaft formed by a multisection outer tube and a multisection inner tube. The outer tube includes a first thin wall outer tube section which is connected to a manifold at its proximal end. The outer tube also includes a second outer tube section which is attached to the distal end of the first outer tube section and which has a greater flexibility. The inner tube has a first thin wall inner tube section which extends generally coaxially through the first outer tube section and into the interior of the second outer tube section. The inner tube also includes a second thin wall inner tube section which is attached to the distal end of the first inner tube section and extends distally beyond the distal end of the outer tube. A balloon is attached to the distal ends of the outer and inner tubes.

Abstract: A balloon catheter for use with a guide wire in angioplasty includes a main shaft which is a flexible tube which has an inflatable balloon at its distal end. The inflatable balloon is attached at its proximal and distal ends to and surrounds a guide wire director. The guide wire extends through the catheter by extending through the shaft, through the guide wire director, and out the distal end of the balloon. Located within the interior of the balloon is an inflation valve and a deflation valve used to provide a fluid tight seal around the guide wire during balloon inflation and deflation.

Abstract: An over-the-wire balloon catheter for use in angioplasty includes a dual lumen shaft formed by a multi-section outer tube with a multi-section inner tube coaxially aligned therein. The outer tube includes a proximal hypotube outer tube section which is connected to a manifold at its proximal end. The outer tube also includes a distal high density polyethylene outer tube section which is attached to the distal end of the proximal outer tube section at an outer tube bonding region. The inner tube has a proximal polyimide inner tube section which extends generally coaxially through the proximal outer tube section. The inner tube also includes a distal high density polyethylene inner tube section which is attached to the distal end of the first inner tube section at an inner tube bonding region. The inner tube bonding region is spaced proximally from the outer tube bonding region, and a balloon is attached to the distal ends of the outer and inner tubes.

Abstract: A method for purging a dilatation catheter begins with providing an inflatable balloon at a distal end of a hollow shaft which has a longitudinal lumen defined therein, an inlet in communication with the interior of the balloon and extending to a lumen outlet distally of the inlet. To purge the catheter of gas before use, the lumen is filled with liquid from a proximal end of the shaft until liquid is forced out of the lumen through the lumen outlet. A guide wire is then advanced distally through the lumen, and a liquid-tight seal is formed about the guide wire distally of the inlet. With the seal maintained, the liquid is then withdrawn from the balloon, thereby deflating the balloon for introduction into a patient and ultimately, for reinflation and dilatation.

Abstract: An over-the-wire balloon catheter for use in angioplasty includes a proximal single lumen shaft and a multilumen distal portion on which an inflatable balloon is mounted. The lumen of the shaft acts as a combined inflation lumen and guide wire lumen. In the multilumen distal portion, a distal inflation lumen connects the combined lumen with the interior of the balloon, while the distal guide wire lumen extends through the balloon to provide a passage for a guide wire.